Love at stake
by PhoenixRain26
Summary: Alternative NM. What if Edward and Bella were more like Romeo and Juliet than they first thought? After Edward leaves, Bella meets her biological brother, Matt, a Vampire and Demon Hunter, and becomes one, since it's a family duty.
1. Prologue

**Hello everybody ^^** After my supposed-to-be-funny « 15 things » series (that I plan on continuing someday), here is my first attempt at writing a real fanfiction in English, which is not my mother tongue. Actually, I'm French ;)  
This story will definitely be a BellaXEdward and is a _really_ alternative New Moon.  
Edward leaves Bella, which results in her being depressed and boyfriend-less. Laurent indeed attacks Bella in the woods, but the werewolves don't save Bella: it's a new character (created by the one and only Me ^^) who is Bella's biological brother, Matt, a Vampire Hunter. Bella will become one (it's a family thing) and acquire powers, and a few years later, run into the Cullens because of her job. In my fanfic world, not only are there vampires and werewolves, but there are also witches (pretty much like the ones in Charmed) and demons (as in Angel, Charmed, Supernatural…).** If you want me to continue to publish this story, please review, because otherwise I won't know if this fanfiction is worth a try.**

**Disclaimer:** About three things I am absolutely positive: First, I do not own Twilight or its characters. Second, there is a part of Stephenie Meyer's lawyers –and I don't know how dominant that part might be–that thirsts for lawsuits against people who have issues with copyright infringement, which is why I'm writing this. And third, I will unconditionally and irrevocably be happy if you read this and take the time to review! Thanks. By the way, all the other characters (like Matt and Athena) are mine. If you want to borrow them, PM me!

**Love at stake**

**Prologue**

_ He _had left me.

Edward Cullen, the love of my life, my soul mate and better half, had left me. He didn't love me anymore. I knew that his feelings towards me, the love he once proclaimed, were hard to believe, from the beginning. Yet my heart was torn into shreds when I was told the truth.

How had I let myself believe that the bronze-haired god, as close to perfection as one can be, flawless and immortal creature, could even take a second look at plain klutzy me, let alone develop unexplained romantic feelings for me? His said feelings were defying logic, seemed almost unreal for they were too flattering to be true, and on that fateful day, he came to his senses.  
He realized he didn't love me.

On the day he left, he took my hopes for a future full of happiness, a future with him. His absence was impossible to bear for me. If I tripped, nobody would be there to catch me. If I cried, nobody would try to help me. If I felt alone, nobody would be there to hug me. No more "I love you". No lullabies. No Edward.

Only he made my existence worth living, and his absence dug a bottomless hole in my chest. Without him, how could I be whole?  
My life had lost its meaning, I had no purpose. My existence had lost its color. Without him, everything seemed dull and useless to me. My life was useless. I was useless.

To save myself from the pain caused by the hole in my heart, I tried to become numb. I paid almost no attention to my surroundings and set myself on "Autopilot". I ate, went to school, did my homework and slept. Everything was a blur, and I was a robot. I didn't care anymore. That is, until Matt walked into my life.

**So, what did you think of this? Are there any mistakes? Feel free to click on the green button!**


	2. Laurent

**Hello everybody ^^ Here is the first**** (and short) chapter of the fanfiction. I bracketed a few sentences that weren't serious enough for the chapter, but left them still. They break the atmosphere, so don't really count them. I left them for fun. Review please! **

**Chapter 1**

Laurent

I was simply lying in the grass, motionless, at the meadow.  
The very one he had shown me months ago, and where we spent hours together, getting to know each other. My memories seemed unreal and dreamlike to me.

His absence would painfully hurt. The most logical thing to do was to not think of him. But despite my useless attempts to forget him, I couldn't bring myself to do so: my stupid human mind rebelled. Every single second my "autopilot" mode spared, I found my thought crawling back to him.

In a moment of weakness, I gave in and went back to the meadow to reminisce my short but blissful time with Edward. Thinking of him still hurt, but pronounce him name, even mentally, was much more painful._ Edward Anthony Masen Cullen._ I guess I was the sick, masochistic one between the two of us.

A soft breeze was silently swaying the grass and I was thinking –of him, that much is obvious- when I heard a ruffling in the fallen leaves and felt cold wind pass over my face. I looked up and my chocolate brown eyes met blood-red orbs. Laurent was staring down at me.

I was surprised to say the least.

On one hand, his very presence was living –or un-living, should I say- proof of Edward's existence, that the haunting memories weren't only dreams. I was at first relieved to see him. Then realization dawned upon me.

I was alone. In the middle of nowhere. With a red-eyed vampire. A human-drinker. He was the predator and I was the prey.

I expected the vampire to literally jump on me, and savagely drink my blood. **(**My body would be found rotting in the woods in a few weeks. Eww.**)**

I firmly closed my eyes and waited. Then I heard him slowly sit beside me. He was relaxed. He knew I wouldn't even try to escape, for I didn't stand a chance –poor human me versus the perfect predator, the outcome was obvious- and neither was I going to be saved. **(**Who would happen to pass by on this exact moment? Mike Newton. I almost mentally smirked.**)**

Ironically, he _carefully _took my now exposed neck to his mouth and his awfully cold breath sent shivers down my spine. He was ready to satiate his thirst while I wasn't ready to die. But still, my life would be put to an end. As I once said to Edward, life isn't fair. He was going to bite me.

But he never did.

**Bella is on the verge of death. Who's going to save her? HINT: ****Matt will be introduced in the next chapter, along with the family background and the supernatural world. **

**Feel free to click on the green button ^^**


	3. Mystery Guy to the rescue

**Hi! I'm back with the second chapter of « Love at stake ». ****Meet Matt, the badass vampire hunter… I named him Matt because this name makes me think of a nice, protective handsome man. Must be the Camden effect! (Remember 7****th**** Heaven?) Lol. I'm starting to get a little off topic…**

**Special thanks**** to ****iris-trulight****, ****myloveisahotbritshdoctor****, ****imawesome34****, ****kodatoad ****and ****Piper ****for their reviews! They made my day ^^**

**Let the action begin...**

**Chapter 2**

Mystery Guy to the rescue

-" Hey Dracula! Didn't you know it's too late for lunchtime?"

I was startled by the man's voice and opened my eyes. Laurent, who clearly didn't appreciate the comment as much as I did, growled at him. He then glared at his right.

I followed his gaze and saw a young man, who seemed to be in his early twenties. He was wearing a black jean, a white tee shirt and a leather jacket. His hair was brown as well as his eyes. He was rather handsome.  
What surprised me the most was not his sudden appearance, but what he was holding. It wasn't a pair of sunglasses with an obscenely high price, no. In his right hand was a beautiful silver axe. Who comes deep in the woods with an axe? _Anyone who wants to cut a tree._ I mentally slapped myself. I rephrased it: who wanders deep in the woods with a battleaxe?  
After a nonexistent inner debate with myself, I decided that I didn't care if the man was a psycho killer with a twisted mind as long as he saved me. He seemed very strong, for a human that is, but he was no match against a vampire. Another thought occurred to me: how did he know Laurent was a vampire? He had clearly called him "Dracula" and insinuated I was lunch to him.  
The mysterious man smiled at me.

- "If I didn't know better, I would've thought you two were going to do some dirty business…"

And I stupidly blushed. I knew he did it on purpose for his smile was wider now. _Now is not the time to tease me! You moron, you made me blush in front of a vampire! Do you want me to die?_, I mentally scolded him.

-"Hey I'm really very sorry! Now please stop cursing me", he said

Was Mystery Guy a mind-reader? But I didn't have time to think about that. _Get rid of the vampire first. Questions later,_ I told myself.  
Laurent left me where I was, and took a few steps towards the young man. I quickly got up on my feet and moved away from the blood-thirsty creature, but I wouldn't leave my saviour, I decided, even as annoying as he was.

Laurent was now crouched, dangerously near Mystery Guy, who was ready to attack with the axe. The young human didn't seem a bit worried. I hoped he had a reason. And he apparently did: when he aimed for Laurent's right shoulder and succeeded, the vampire's arm came off. Laurent's blood-curdling scream echoed through the woods.  
He punched the surprised vampire, who literally _flied _to a tree. Mystery Guy was definitely not human. I now knew why he had that stupid smug smile plastered on his face.  
The young man ran at an incredible non-human speed to Laurent and struck twice. In a matter of seconds, Laurent had no limbs left.

I was too shocked to be disgusted at the sight.

After a final blow, Laurent's head was resting on the grass now tainted with blood while Mystery Guy didn't even seem breathless. He seemed to have come out of a movie. The superhero saving the poor damsel in distress. _Why, thank you._ I jumped. The young man hadn't moved his lips! Was this in my…

-"Yeah, that was in your head… We kind of have a mental bound. You can mentally talk to me, and I can mentally answer you. It's a two-way thing…", he answered.

_ Wow_, I thought, for a lack of better word. The man had a lot of explaining to do.

-"My name is Matt Silverclaw", he introduced himself.

- "I'm Isabella Swan, but you can call me Bella", I said._ Never heard his name, _I mentally told myself, _but Silverclaw sounds good. An original name for a surprising man, I guess._

- "We have lots of explaining to do, and there are more things that you should know, but we should dispose of the vamp over there", he said.

I had actually forgotten the vampire. Who was, by the way, beginning to move. I decided to warn my new acquaintance.

- "Matt…

- Yeah, I know.

He seemed to concentrate on the vampire, his eyebrows furrowed, when the creature suddenly burst into flames. My heart skipped a beat.

-" What the… ", I almost cursed.

- "That was me, pretty cool huh?", he smiled.

He was the origin of this mysterious spontaneous combustion?  
Mark was really no ordinary human. The more I knew him, the more I wanted to ask questions. We both silently watched the remnants of Laurent burn, and the thick smoke that was now going up in the sky. The smell was awful, but I didn't break the comfortable silence.

- "We should go", Matt suddenly said.

It was now twilight.

-"Yes, let's go to my place", I told him.

We headed back to my home without a word. Charlie wasn't home, but I trusted Matt. I had the feeling I knew him, yet it was impossible. Something in him made me feel safe. _Perhaps it's the fact that he saved you from a vampire, and positively kicked its ass._ But it wasn't only that.

- "Welcome at the Swan's, I said, opening the door. Would you like a drink, or something to eat?

- No, thanks Bells.

We both sat on the couch.

-"So…, he began.

-"So?"

-" I'm basically a Vampire Hunter. Sorry, I didn't know how to break the news!" , he quickly said.

The piece of information sunk into my mind. An apologetic smile was displayed on Matt's face.

-"What?!" _Breathe, Bella, breathe,_ I told myself.

- "My entire family is, he continued. The Silverclaw clan has been hunting vampires and other creatures and demons that are a threat to human for centuries. We save people.  
It all began in the thirteenth century, when Alexander Silverclaw, our ancestor, signed a Contract with the entire witches' community, or more exactly Melinda Warren, who signed on their behalf. Alexander was a gifted man, and could kill evil creatures, and sometimes vampires, nobody knows how though. He was a hunter.  
When he signed the Contract, he was granted magical abilities and swore to use them for the good, in exchange. He would use them for fighting against demons and such. And he lived up to his words. And ever since, our entire family has been mostly of hunter, with a few exceptions, and each of us sign the Contract on their eighteenth birthday and get awesome powers. The abilities we get are different for each of us, and depend on the person, like witches'. For example one of my powers is Pyrokinesis, which I used on that vampire's body. Our powers are individual; we are all more all less powerful.  
But we also have common powers that make us more likely to win against the evil, and that witches don't have: we all have enhanced senses and heal faster than humans. For each of our vampire kills, our anti-vampire weapon -a weapon that can cut through vampire flesh- get an engraving of a claw mark, that appear out of nowhere. We all know it's magic though." He showed me his axe, on which, I noticed, were several engravings. He wasn't a newbie despite his young age. "My other powers are extra brute force and going through objects or becoming as hard as a vampire. I can walk through walls, aren't you jealous?", he joked.

All of this information was unexpected. First, not were there only vampires, but also demons and witches!

-"I have a few questions", I stated.

-"Go on", he simply said.

- "You said there were evil creatures, not only vampires?"

- "Yes, there are all kinds of demons who have different abilities and sometimes have to be killed differently. There are also the vampires, who are not really classified as demons, and shape-shifters, like werewolves. Then there are fairies, ghosts, witches…"

-"Okay, I see. I might have some questions later. And I also noticed you began telling about the Silverclaw clan saying "my family" but then switched to "our"… I guess it's just that you lack storytelling skills", I joked.

-"My bad…

He really could be stupid sometimes…  
He then looked at me in the eyes.

-… didn't I tell you that you are my sister?"

That's when I blacked out.

**How did you like it?**** This was very difficult to write and now I can clearly see how much of a challenge writing a story in English is to me, with French being my first language… I also noticed that I don't know how to insert dialogs in English, so don't be mad at me and please point out any kind of mistake.  
****Matt's explanation can also be confusing, so feel free to ask questions ^^  
****And now, review ****please****, I just know you want to click on the green button!!**


	4. Blood ties

**Hello^^ I'm back with the third chapter of « Love at stake ». Sorry for delay!! I **_**still**_** can't find my original draft of this chapter, which I had to rewrite. I hope you won't be disappointed with this. By the way, you could also check out my other parody/stories.**

**Thank you for all the review and feel free to point out any mistake ^^ R and R please!!**

**Chapter 3**

Blood ties

**Matt POV**

Bella had just fainted. I guess being my little sister was shocking news to her, but didn't she know that the Swan couple had adopted her years ago? She was nearly two at that time, but her klutziness was already clearly showing!

I'm five years older thanher, and being her only sibling, our parents had given me the duty to protect her, be it from evil creatures or overfriendly boys. I swore to always be there for my little sis', and the two years I spent with her were sure tiring, but also fun.

I always had to be aware no matter what for little Bella was fragile and she was always up to something. The first months, she only cried, ate and slept but that was only the calm before the storm.

Hurricane Bella was impossibly active and therefore more accident-prone than any other one-year-old kid.

I protected her from the Big Bad Fall near the staircase, the Evil and Demonic Iron and always stopped her when she was too curious for her own good. I thought I would forever be there for my little Bella, how wrong I was.

Everything changed that one night, sixteen years ago.

_Flashback_

_**Little Matt POV**_

Bella was sleeping angelically, and I was busy wiping the drool on her face when I was startled by Mom's voice.

-"Matt!" she shouted.

_What have I done again?_ She sounded scarier than the time I explained to Bella that vampires were bad bloodsucking monsters and how to kill them. Bella didn't care about was I was saying, but Mom sure did. I had just wanted her to be aware of the bad and evil creatures she could run into, I want her to be able to protect herself, not that I won't be there. Protecting her is my mission, and I will be the best big brother ever! Moreover, Bella will also one day become a Hunter, so she has to learn more about her future job. I planned to form a team with her and then demons would fear us! Mom had really scolded me, and had told me that Bella was too young. "Sometimes, ignorance can be a true bliss", she had said. I didn't understand what she meant, but still nodded because I knew that she would have continued her long lecture otherwise.

I was slowly coming to her, still scared of what was awaiting me. _Be a man, Matt!_, I thought. I was now walking at a normal pace, still dreading the talk, when I heard a scream. Mom was in trouble!

I ran to the stairs, and began to go down. That's when I saw them.

There were seven of them, all wearing the same black cloaks, their faces hidden. _They must be really ugly._ Then, to my horror, I noticed that they had cornered Mom. They had the upper hand number-wise. _"But Mom will show them her skills and vanquish them"_, I convinced myself.

I suddenly realized that Bella needed to go to a safer place. We wouldn't be able to escape the manor unnoticed but I could hide her. Fortunately, the bad guys hadn't seen or heard me and I silently came back to my sister. I somehow managed to put her in a closet without waking her up and crept to my spot, anxiously watching.

If needed, I would jump out and help Mom, I decided. Not that she would need my help.

She summoned her dagger that appeared out of nowhere in a brief flash of white light. She had even named it, she loved it so much. She had called it Angel, and once had told me how ironical it was that she used Angel to kill demons. I learned a new word that day. I impressed my teacher the new day. Just how Mom was impressing me.

Her every move was gracious, she looked like an angel that was dancing. Only she could pull off that look while killing demons, according to my father.

Against all odds, she killed three demons in less than a minute. Each time Mom stabbed them on a deadly spot, they would disappear in red flames. She moved so fast. Stupidly enough, each demon took its turn. They were dummies, too bad for them. Didn't they know that together they would be stronger? Six-year-old me is better than them. Well, I AM Matt, their future nightmare.

Mom was now battling the four remaining cloaked demonic individuals all at once. One kick left, one kick right. Two of them suddenly combusted in flames, now the last two were standing before her.

"Let's put this to and end, shall we? Dinner is on the stove and will soon get burned. I don't want my husband and kids to go to bed with an empty stomach", she told them with a little smile.

She attacked one of them but the guy stopped her and grabbed her hand. The one holding the dagger. Then he suddenly made her stab herself on the chest. _Mom! _

I didn't have enough time to react. By the time I reached the end of the staircase, they had disappeared in dark flames. Only a blood-stained Angel was lying on the wooden floor.

_End Flashback._

Poor Bella and me were as good as orphaned for our father disappeared the same night and never came home.

The whole clan suspected our family to be these demons' target and decided that Bella and me would be separated for our safety. She was only one and didn't really know of the supernatural beings, our clan, and would soon forget her family, that's why she was put for adoption. She would be able to live a normal, safe life for a while, and we would watch out for her, keep an eye on the demonic activities near her home. It was decided to let her choose to become or not a Hunter when she would be of age.

As for me, I was raised and trained by Uncle Alec, a fellow hunter and best friend of my mother. He is one of the best Hunters out there, but retired a few months ago. He taught me every single thing he knows. He is currently in Hawaii, probably drinking some lemonade on a beach. While I am trying to wake my sister who fainted!

"Bella", I called her. I carefully put her on the couch. _What should I do?_ I was no good with fainting people, and Bella was completely out! I took a long breath in and called Athena.

"Athena! Love, I really need your help!" I desperately cried.

I sensed her behind me and turned around. _Thank god!_ Naturally, my beautiful girlfriend was wearing her "I told you so" look. She had wanted to come with me on the "Save Bella" mission, but wasn't able to convince me. Despite her being a witch, I didn't want to put her into more danger than she usually was. Athena and me have been together for a year, and I know she's the one for me. She was really excited to meet Bella, but was too busy sending me that look to jump around and squeal. Athena was an energy ball.

"Is that who I think it is?" she asked with a little smile. I nodded. "You tell her you're her long-lost brother and she faints?" she said now grinning.

She approached my sister and took a look at her. "She'll be fine" Athena told me. "She looks a lot like you. You would totally look like her if I used a spell to turn you into a woman" she joked. "We should let her wake up by herself. No need to rush. Let her brain process that you're her Hunter of a brother, my padawan." I smiled at her attempt at imitating a certain Jedi.

I then noticed that Bella was starting to twitch. She was coming to her senses. I guess I'll have to explain _everything_ to her. She was _so_ getting an hour-long lecture she wouldn't be able to get out of. I smirked.

**How did you like it? Feel free to click on the green button!!**


	5. Trust

**Hello everybody^^ Here is the fourth chapter of « Love at stake »! ****Sorry for the delay, but I've been thinking of where my story should go and I'm happy to announce that I have the whole story planned out! This chapter is short, but it seemed to me that it was the best way to end it. Thanks to ****twird96**** and ****imawesome34**** for their reviews. I'm glad you haven't forgotten me (yet? XD)! Please review and let me know what you think of this^^**

**Chapter 4**

Trust

"So you're telling me that you're my long-lost brother who happens to be a Hunter?" I asked Matt, with a disbelieving tone.

"Exactly" he said, "and we are the only two remaining direct heirs to Alexander Silverclaw, the founder of our clan."

He either hadn't a sarcasm detector or he had just remained unfazed. If it was the latter case, he was probably very confidant or had a poker face, since after an hour-long explaining, I was still sceptical. Demons? Witches? Hunters? And a Mom who got attacked in her own home and couldn't survive while two kids made it out unscathed?

After an internal debate, I decided that I could give him a chance. I was, after all, the human who had fallen in love with a vampire. I was going to ask him to prove it when a blonde and blue-eyed woman appeared behind him, out of nowhere. I guessed it could be considered as evidence to prove the existence of supernatural beings other than vampires.

"Matt, I got her some chocolate, it will make her feel better. Sorry for the delay, but I crossed paths with some ugly green demon" the young woman said. She had encountered a demon and was talking about it as if it was something that happened often. I then noticed that she really was holding a chocolate bar in her right hand. I took a closer look at her. The girl was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a simple red shirt. Her long, blonde curls weren't tied, they were actually bouncing, and I detected a spark of excitement in her deep, blue eyes. When she noticed me staring at her, she instantly sent me a full smile that could outshine any Colgate model's.

"Hi Bella! Feeling better?" she asked me. The teleporting woman already knew my name.

"Oh! How rude of me, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Athena Davis, Matt's girlfriend, and I'm a witch!" she introduced herself. If she was a witch, wasn't she supposed to be ugly, at least a little?

"I can already see you asking me if I've lost my broom or if I got some treatment for the wart, but really those are only stereotypes! I'm actually just a blonde girl who happens to have special abilities. I can teleport, control people's minds, like make them forget things or create memories and add to that all the witch-related gifts, like casting powerful spells for instance." She smiled at me.

I then had an epiphany. I turned to Matt.

"I believe you" I simply told him.

The boy who had saved me had seemed familiar from the beginning and now his words made sense to me. Athena radiated an aura of positiveness and pure gentleness could be seen in her eyes. I decided I could trust them.

They both smiled at me.

**So, what do you think of it? Feel free to review! By the way, please don't feel offended you happen to be a Colgate model. ^^**


	6. Decision

**Hi ^^ I'm back! Sorry for the delay but school and homework have been taking a long time…****and I somehow still got blocked even after planning the story - -" **

**Please forgive me…**

**Here's the new chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Tweety and Colgate (the company, tubes of toothpaste aren't unknown to me =D), but Matt and Athena are mine!**

**Sorry for any misspelling or grammar mistakes. Feel free to point out any of these!**

**Chapter 5**

Decision

It had already been a week since my surprising encounter with Laurent at the meadow and Matt's equally –if not more- surprising appearance and rescue from the blood-thirsty vampire.

That day irrevocably changed my life.

To begin with the obvious, thanks to my dear brother, I didn't die, for which I will be eternally grateful to Matt, regardless of how childish he sometimes may be. I also discovered a whole new facet of the world, whose existence I didn't even doubt. Shape-shifters in La Push?

If anyone told me such information a month ago, I would have laughed at them. No wonder I didn't think their existence was possible when Jacob told me of them. For my defence, Jacob was sceptical himself, he had spoken of Werewolves, and all I was interested in was _him_ and his family.

Yes, Shape-shifters and Werewolves both do exist, even if Werewolves are almost extinct after the Volturi decided to decimate their race, Matt told me. Werewolves are men (or women- my feminist side added!) who change into wolves once a month, on the night of the full moon, and have no choice over it. They often can't control themselves when in wolf form since their minds become more animalistic and savage. They were called Children of the Moon by the Volturi, the vampires who rule all their peers and make sure their only law is never broken, that the very existence of vampires is kept secret to all humans. On the other hand, Shape-shifters are men and women who have the ability to change into an animal –which depends on the person- at will. The trigger to the change is often linked to the emotions of the shifter.

Last, and not the least, was the change in me that anyone in Forks could see: I was not a zombie anymore. The autopilot era was over. Matt and Athena woke me up, along with the discovery of a family and inheritance I never knew I had. Matt had given me choice: remain a normal girl and lead a demon-free life or sign the Contract to acquire abilities in order to protect the innocent and vanquish evil creatures. This decision was not to be taken lightly for it was life-changing, and I explained to my newfound brother that I would need time to make up my mind.

Matt and Athena stayed in Forks and Matt only called me instead of visiting. The explanation for that could be put into one single word: Charlie. Matt wanted to avoid any run-in with the Police Chief of Forks unprepared. Athena, his girlfriend, spent a lot of time with me. Being able to teleport had its advantages, and Athena put it to good use. She decided that unless Matt promised to be her slave for a day, she wouldn't take him with her when teleporting to my house. Smart girl! Athena was a wonderful young woman: she was nice, understanding and very easy to get along with. She was also very dynamic if not hyperactive. To put it in a nutshell, it was impossible not to love her. She was already a big sister to me.

Despite Matt purposely not coming at home, him meeting Charlie could not be postponed any longer and tonight was the night we both dreaded: Matt and Athena were coming over for dinner. I told Charlie that I had invited some new friends of mine. Charlie said he didn't mind -of course he didn't, he was only too happy to see me out of my catatonic state and socializing again.

Charlie was watching TV and I was putting my lasagna in the oven when the doorbell rang.

I opened the door, led Matt and Athena to the living room and decided to introduce them, but Matt beat me to it.

"Good evening Chief Swan," he greeted Charlie, "My name is Matthew Silverclaw and this is Athena Davis, my girlfriend."

"Hello Chief Swan, it's nice to meet you" Athena said. The second she flashed him her Colgate smile, I knew Charlie was put under her spell, pun intended. Alice and Athena were alike in many aspects, and more visibly in their behaviour: both always seemed to have a high level of sugar in their bloodstream (although Alice didn't have one) and were almost –no, actually really- hyperactive. Both were always in a bullet-proof bubble of contagious happiness but were reasonable and serious when it was called for. How I missed Alice!

Charlie invited them to sit on the couch.

"So, you're Bells' new friends," Charlie stated.

"Actually we're more than that, Chief Swan," Matt began. "I am Isabella's biological brother."

Just how tactless could he be? Did he want my dad to have a heart attack?

Charlie was speechless. He slowly sat on the nearest chair. He glanced at me, then locked his gaze on Matt. He probably noticed our similar features, such as the color of our hair. My more-than-sometimes idiotic brother continued.

"Our parents, who owned the Silverclaw Corporation, were receiving lots of threat letters, and when both of them disappeared on the same night, our safety was put above everything else. Bella and I were separated in order to not be recognized too easily. I went to a friend of our mother's, while Bella was put for adoption. We didn't abandon her, Chief Swan, we just had to let go of her for her own security."

Charlie sat motionless, as if he was processing the words. After a short-lived awkward moment, Charlie spoke.

"I perfectly understand, kid. If Bella wants to take you back into her life, I won't stop her. But first, I want to see proof," Chief Swan calmly said.

Matt showed him a few official documents clearly proving that I was indeed his sister, after which the deafening silence made its comeback, full force.

I brought some drinks and switched on the TV. There was a baseball game, which actually saved us all. Matt was very fond of baseball, a passion he clearly shared with Charlie. Soon, they were both cheering for some team I hadn't ever heard of, under the amused eyes of both Athena and I. We had worried over nothing…

A few minutes later, the lasagne was ready, and we all ate together. Dinner was lively for once, and conversations went on. That evening was the evening Matt and Athena became part of not only my family, but Charlie's as well.

It had already been six months since that eventful dinner, and graduation was only a few hours away. I had agreed to join Matt and Athena on their battle against the evil and to sign the Contract after graduation. Then, the three of us would set out and travel to where our mission would take us, where bad demons were lurking.

Matt had explained to me that there were signs of demonic activities in the papers and that we just had to know what to look for and recognize the hints. Demons and supernatural creatures were often the cause behind mysterious disappearances, unexplainable occurrings, some gruesome murders, and others cases the police would not be able to solve. I would be able to save innocents and make a difference in this world. I didn't have much experience with the supernatural –except for _him_ and his family- but Athena assured me that Matt and she would help me train and catch up with them.

My dear brother and I decided not to tell Charlie about the supernatural world for two reasons: the first was that he wouldn't approve of my decision and try to change my mind, and the second was that even if he did approve, he wouldn't be able to live in peace and would constantly worry about me after my departure. His position on my leaving wouldn't stop me from going, but I didn't want to leave like that. I had found a new purpose in my life, and I had a feeling it would be the beginning of an important part of my life.

The official reason behind my departure was that I was going to work at the Silverclaw Corporation, which we were truly the owners of. The company financed demon hunting, exorcising, helped people with supernatural issues, and was run by our family. It didn't do business in only that field, since it had expanded after its creation. The company was present in the medical field, especially for the research of new cures, in communication and technology. I discovered Matt and I were far from poor. I was surprised –to say the least- when I was told our financial status and happy to see that despite all the money, Matt had remained level-headed. He spent his money quite reasonably for a man that rich. He occasionally offered nice gifts to Athena –like her beautiful heart-shaped pendant- but didn't spend astronomical amounts of money like others would, but now I'm digressing.

Charlie, who wanted to see me graduate from college, expand my knowledge and acquire more diplomas, reluctantly agreed, and Matt told him that he would teach me the ropes, and that learning on the field would provide me skills books alone couldn't. He had spoken the truth, omitting the fact that what he was going to teach me could boost a horror-movie scriptwriter's creativity. I had internally grinned when Matt shot me a meaningful look after he made his promise to my father. I had grasped the fact that Charlie Swan was not my biological father and Renee wasn't my biological mother either, but family wasn't about DNA and nobody would be able to change the fact that I considered them my parents.

Athena and Matt started giving me theoretical lessons on supernatural beings, and had begun with the subject of vampires –their characteristics, weakness and laws. I learned more about the Volturi, whom _he_ had once told me about, at what seemed a long time ago… Talking about vampires sparked Matt's curiosity: how in the name of _Tweety_ –Matt's choice of words often surprised me- had I known about vampires?

I reluctantly told him and his girlfriend –who I considered as one of my best friends at that point- how I fell in love with a vampire named Edward –even thinking his name still hurt- , the Cullen's vegetarian way of life, and told them that we had broken up and all his family left, it was the Cliff's notes version of our short-lived love –only on my part- story. Knowing how protective he could be, I expected Matt to be somehow mad at the Cullens but his reaction surprised me. "It must lie in blood. When you aren't looking for vampires, vampires kind of come to you," he joked. "We could use you as a bet," he smiled, "you'll be the most effective vampire magnet ever!"

Matt also made me run for an hour three times a week, because I was "under-trained" and also in order to exterminate other Bella in me, the one who could turn P.E. into a bloodbath. The physical training improved greatly my balance and speed, to my own surprise. I no longer tripped over thin air, and lost momentarily my balance only about once, or twice a month, which was still not natural for an 18-year-old girl, but very much an exploit for me.

Matt and I also discovered that our mental bound allowed us to send thoughts to each other, but not spy on each other's mind –much to Matt's disappointment and my relief- unless the other party was experiencing strong emotions or felt in danger. Our connexion could get stronger over time, since I hadn't signed the infamous Contract. I had no idea what it looked like, and when I asked Matt, his answer didn't help. "That's for me to know and you to find out," he stupidly grinned.

Graduation was in mere hours and intently looking at the rare stars on that not-so-surprisingly rainy night, I had the strong feeling that something big was going to happen, something that wasn't good, but the pre-graduation stress could have been blamed for that.

The only thing I knew for sure was that my life was going to take a big turn –a turn for the better, I hoped.

**Leave a review, pretty please! Anonymous reviews are also welcome… *hint***


	7. Told you so

**Chapter 6**

Told you so

"Wakey wakey!"

I groaned. How could it be morning already? I sent a somber look to Athena who was way too happy at morning -for a human being. She'd bought me a blue and white sundress to wear on Graduation day -today- and a quick glance at my window told me I could wear it. The sun had made a rare appearance for the graduating class of Forks.

I took a shower, brushed my teeth and put my dress on. I only brushed by hair, choosing to leave it as it was.

As Athena and I walked down the stairs to eat breakfast together, I noticed the house was very quiet. I knew Charlie wasn't home, he was off to his office to minimize the paperwork that would wait for him tomorrow, so it meant Matt wasn't there, which was suspicious. I knew Matt wouldn't miss a second of this day, he felt already so awful for not being there while I grew up.

"Where's Matt?," I asked Athena. Her whole demeanor changed and I could feel that she was nervous.

"He's...er...he really really wanted to eat... PIE! So he went to the Lodge to buy some," Athena replied with an unnatural smile. She really couldn't lie to save her life.

"Okay," I didn't question her. I'd know sooner or later what my dear brother had been doing. Graduation was an hour away anyway. We'd see him there.

Soon enough, it was time to go and I let Athena drive us to Forks High. Matt was there, and he didn't look great despite the smile on his face. Something was wrong. He walked up as we got off the Chevy.

"Hello B, I can't believe my little sister is going to graduate already," he tried to act normal.

"Hi Matt," I greeted him with a small smile. I took a deep breath. "Something is wrong," I stated. "And don't even try to lie," I tapped my temple, "I know you're worried about something."

"There's a small army of newborns near Seattle," he began.

_Vampires,_ he thought to me.

"I think they're on their way to Forks and their leader is a redhead," he continued.

"Victoria,"I said. "It makes sense."

She could have been behind Laurent's sudden appearance and James, the vampire who'd tried to eat me, had been killed by the Cullens in order to protect me. She wanted revenge.

"How many?" I asked.

"I'd say about twenty. Newborns are difficult to control so their number should fluctuate."

"Fluctuate? Wow, Matt, you're using grown-up words," I teased him to ease the tension. "I think I should sign the Contract today so I can help you," I added on a more serious note.

Matt closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate, and suddenly held out a big and fat old-looking volume.

"That's it?" I asked. He sent me an odd look. "Okay, I may have sounded a bit anti-climatic but really I'm impressed." And I was. It's almost as if I could feel the importance of the book in his hands, as if it was a living thing. And it was a book that _did_ appear out of nowhere.

"I summoned it," he explained. "Hunters who signed the Contract can summon it for others to sign. It wasn't exactly in the form of a book at the beginning, but as time passed more Hunters signed and all the parchment was carefully turned into a volume."

"You said once that we're the last heirs to Alexander Silverclaw, who was the first Hunter to sign. Does it mean we'll be the only Hunters to have signed the Contract?" I genuinely asked.

"I said we're the last _direct_ heirs to Alexander Silverclaw, direct being the keyword. We do have blood-relatives, but they're cousins with too many degrees to count. Anyway, trusted people who are as good as family have signed too before, Uncle Alec did, for example. I think we're about a hundred Silverclaw Hunters for the moment. It's usually witches or families of Hunters who take care of supernatural problems and make sure word doesn't get out."

"So there are other families like ours?"

"A few, but we're the oldest."

He opened the old volume and gave me a pen, along with a pocket knife. I looked at him.

"What's this for?"

Athena answered my question. "You don't only need to sign, the blood is a sure way to identify you and it makes the Contract a blood oath. A drop will suffice," she tried to reassure me.

I took both objects as Athena opened the book at the right page. I saw a list of names with dated signatures and the mandatory drop of blood.

_John Anthony McGrath..._

_Tina Caroline Stevens..._

_Hope Taylor Silverclaw._

"Is that..." I began.

"Yes," Matt said. "That's Mom. She also convinced her parents to let Uncle Alec sign." He gestured to the next name.

_Alec Xavier Sommers._

"You can look at it more closely another time. You really should sign now. You do know it's your Graduation day?" Matt pressed me. People were starting to arrive.

So I took the pen, put the date on paper and added my name just under Matt's. I let Athena prick my finger and quickly added the drop of blood. And I didn't feel any different. At first.

After Matt made the book return wherever it belonged, a warm feeling invaded my body and everything felt just right. A smile slowly appeared on my face, and I knew I had to look stupid, smiling for no apparent reason, but I just had to. Matt smiled at me.

"It feels incredible, doesn't it?" he said. "But it doesn't last very long."

Just as he said so, the feeling began to fade.

"What happens now?"

"You don't immediately have access to all your abilities. It will take about an hour, maybe two, for your body to make the transition," Matt explained. "And just as for witches, your personal abilities will grow with time and practice."

I started wondering what kind of special ability I would be offered. Matt's pyrokinesis was especially handy against vampires, but also a bit scary. Maybe teleporting? Athena's power was incredibly useful. Or invisibility! I could definitely have used it to avoid the staring on my first day at Forks High...

"Bells?" Matt started waving his right hand in front of my face.

"Yes," I said. "Let's go!"

I went through graduation in a daze, my brain still not used to the fact that High School was over, and suddenly I found myself throwing my cap, surrounded by my peers. Cries of joy were heard and hugs shared, some parents were crying and others clapping. Charlie was part of the latter, while my mother, who'd come a bit late with Phil, was part of the former. Charlie joined me first. He gave me an awkward hug and spoke a few words.

"Congratulations, Bells," he said, with...tears in his eyes? "I'm so proud of you!" He gave me a pat on the back. I laughed.

My mother was more showy with her feelings. She almost tackled me to give one of her special hugs, the kind that cuts your breath, and showered me with kisses. It was embarrassing, but so Renee. She was talking race car-speed but I caught the words "proud", "love" and "miss".

"I love you and will miss you too, Mom," I said with a red face. I sent a cold stare to Matt who was silently laughing, and he immediately stopped.

We all had lunch at The Lodge and the afternoon was spent at home. Athena, Matt and I left the parents to themselves and quietly walked to the woods.

"Are they closer now?" I dreaded the answer.

"I think they'll attack tonight," Matt said. "We'll train you now and see what you can do." He saw the worry in my eyes and added, "Everything will go fine and we'll kick some vampire ass." He smiled.

He took my hand and led me to an enormous rock that probably weighted a ton. I looked up to him.

"Now what?"

"Lift it," he simply said. My eyes bugged out.

"Trust me," he said. I rolled my eyes and got closer to rock. When I hugged it hard and tried to lift it... I succeeded. It was surreal. I turned to Matt with my brightest smile.

"I told you so," he grinned.


End file.
